This invention relates generally to communication systems for use by individuals who have access to both a mobile radio mounted within a vehicle and a portable radio carried upon the person of the individual and relates, more particularly, to means and methods for controlling various operating capabilities and characteristics of such a system.
It is not uncommon that an individual, such as a law enforcement officer, carry on his person a portable two-way radio and also have access to a vehicle in which a mobile two-way radio is mounted, or installed. When such an individual is away from his vehicle, he will, out of necessity, utilize his portable two-way radio to communicate to a remote site, but upon return to his vehicle, he will normally utilize the vehicle-mounted mobile radio for communication purposes, rather than the portable radio, due to the greater power typically possessed by the mobile radio.
In the situation in which the individual returns to his vehicle and he desires to utilize his mobile radio, he must manually lower the audio volume of his portable radio (which typically involves the adjustment of a volume control dial associated with a speakermic mounted in the lapel area of his clothing) so that feedback does not occur during subsequent transmissions of his voice messages over the mobile radio. Otherwise, the portable radio is likely to pick up and play his voice messages spoken into the microphone of the mobile radio by way of the speakermic of the portable radio and which are subsequently included within the transmission of the signals of the mobile radio—causing feedback.
It would be desirable to provide a communications system of the aforedescribed class which does not require that the individual manually reduce the volume of the portable two-way radio in the event that the individual returns to his vehicle and wishes to revert to the use of his vehicle-mounted mobile radio for communication purposes.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved communications system for use by an individual whose has access to both a vehicle-mounted mobile two-way radio and a portable two-way radio wherein the components of the system perform a task for the individual automatically, which task was heretofore performed manually.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a communications system whose components are capable of automatically adjusting the audio volume of the portable radio upon the occurrence of at least one predetermined event.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a communications system whose components are capable of automatically adjusting the audio volume of the portable radio when an individual is seated within a seat of the vehicle and when the power to the vehicle-mounted mobile radio is switched ON.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provides such a communications system which is uncomplicated in structure, yet effective in operation.